Govt plans to train youth in technical fields

ISLAMABAD: Balochistan government has planned to impart technical training to the youth to fulfill the needs of technical staff required for special economic zones in the province.

The provincial government would train 6,000 people in different fields this year, said Balochistan government spokesperson Liaquat Shahwani on Wednesday.

The technical training programme would be expanded further and number of trainees would increase every year.

Shahwani said Balochistan was rich in mineral resources and that China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) could be leveraged to promote youth employment.

He said the youth would also be imparted training in the tourism sector.

Shahwani noted that the provincial government had allocated a separate quota for the differently-abled persons.

“The government has allocated 500 seats for persons with disabilities, he said, and added, “after training these persons in different fields, they would be able to get jobs easily”.

The spokesperson emphasised upon the need to improve the quality of training and strengthen academia by ensuring linkages with industries and added the measures would tackle unemployment issues in the province.

Balochistan government was also been taking initiatives to impart technical skills among women where they could learn entrepreneurship skills along with financial assistance for transforming their start-up ideas into reality.

“The government is also establishing Technical Education and Embroidery Centres for women in five districts of the province with an estimated cost of Rs231.67 million,” he said.

The centres would be established in Lasbela, Panjgur, Awaran, Zhob and Turbat districts.

In the first phase of the programme, as many as 1400 women would be given six-month training in embroidery, tailoring, fruit/ dates processing, commercial cooking and in IT.

Shahwani said the provincial government would also award a special financial package to enable them to earn their livelihood on their own.

He declared the government was focused on establishing state-of-the-art technical institutions across the province.

“It is time to promote technical education and encourage youth to acquire technical skills. It would play a major role in the sustainability and development of the province” he said.

“It is our responsibility to create a healthy environment to bring a positive change in their [youth] lives,” he added.

He reiterated the purpose of equipping the youth with modern skills was to motivate them toward entrepreneurship.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 30^th, 2020.